Boulder aims for 'low-stress' biking, more buses in transportation plan

Boulder council holds study session on transportation plan before it's finalized in July

Beth Langston, right, and Michael Brown ride their bicycles in the buffered bike lane near 17th and Spruce streets in Boulder last week. The lane is one of several traffic experiments underway in Boulder as the city considers a new Transportation Master Plan. (Mark Leffingwell / Daily Camera)

Info: To read the complete memo on the Transportation Master Plan and see the rest of the agenda, visit bit.ly/1iyzfxf.

Biking and walking in Boulder should be "low-stress" experiences that are as open to women with young children and older people who aren't in the best shape, not just to fit men who are comfortable negotiating busy streets.

How to create that experience is one goal of the Transportation Master Plan that the city's transportation department has been updating for more than a year.

The Boulder City Council will discuss the master plan, which also looks at transit and demand management programs, at its study session Tuesday night.

There will be another public meeting on the plan before it comes back for final approval, most likely in July.

The transportation plan focuses on developing "complete streets" that work well for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians.

"Boulder has a really good system for walking and biking, yet we think there are some locations and corridors where we might benefit from fine-tuning the system to make it more attractive, appealing and safe for a broader cross-section of the population," said Marni Ratzel, Boulder bicycle and pedestrian transportation planner.

Since last fall, Boulder has been trying out a series of "living laboratory" bike improvements that are supposed to make bicycling safer, including back-in angled parking on University Avenue across from the Armory building on the University of Colorado campus, buffered bike lanes on Spruce Street between 15th and Folsom streets, and a separated cycle track on Baseline Road between 30th and 35th streets that uses low concrete barriers to keep cars and bicycles separate.

Boulder is experimenting with back-in angled parking on University Avenue between 13th and 15th streets. (Mark Leffingwell / Daily Camera)

The city is seeking feedback from cyclists about their experience using the streets and bike lanes in those areas, as well as conducting observational studies of how cyclists and drivers behave around the improvements and collecting accident data.

Mixed reviews

Some of the improvements have gotten mixed reviews on Inspire Boulder, a website that allows people to talk about city projects.

The separated cycle track made some cyclists feel safer, but others said there weren't enough openings in the barrier to move in and out as necessary, especially with a trailer.

"I love this new addition," one person wrote. "It keeps me from worrying about a car crossing the line and running me over. Much more comforting to travel with this new addition."

But another called it "dangerous, unsightly and unnecessary."

"You can tell by the black marks on the concrete blocks that cars hit them all the time," that commenter wrote. "It's just a matter of time before someone gets injured hitting a block and veering into the grass or into traffic, if it hasn't happened already. And heaven forbid a bicyclist clips one and flies off his/her bike."

Parking enforcement officers have issued more than 1,900 tickets since August to cars parked the nose-in on University, despite signs explaining that cars are supposed to back in — though Ratzel said compliance has gotten much better in recent months.

Many drivers have complained about it being difficult to back in at an angle, yet Boulder police say they have only recorded one accident in the area since the experiment started.

Ratzel said the city has heard complaints from drivers, but believes back-in parking is better for cyclists because they can see cars backing up and slow down and cars pulling out can see them.

The buffered bike lanes — which create an additional two-foot barrier just with paint have mostly received good reviews.

"A lot can be done with signs and paint," Ratzel said.

The city also is organizing "walkabouts" to encourage people to walk in their neighborhoods and for planners to learn more about making streets friendlier to pedestrians.

The information from these experiments will be incorporated into street and sidewalk design as the city does other street projects around Boulder, Ratzel said.

Prioritizing connections

The transportation master plan also includes consideration of transit improvements.

One of the decisions Boulder will have to make is whether to prioritize transit connections within the city, adding more neighborhood connector routes or whether to invest more heavily in regional routes and bus rapid transit along regional corridors such as Diagonal Highway and Arapahoe Road.

Senior Transportation Planner Randall Rutsch said giving commuters better transit options will make a bigger dent in both vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions than the neighborhood routes, but helping people get around Boulder better also serves important community needs.

"There is no one clear winner," Rutsch said. "Each has a set of advantages and a set of costs. What is your perception of the greatest issue?"

Regional transit improvements will have to be developed in cooperation with RTD, Boulder County and other cities. Boulder doesn't have a funding source yet for transit improvements, though a new federal grant program — Small Starts — helps pay for projects like dedicated lanes for bus rapid transit.

Once the master plan is approved, Rutsch said, planners will develop an action plan and pursue project funding.

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